OCTOBER 4:Family Day ~ At Play with Plants:A Day of Discovery for the Child in All of Us10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

♦ Jeanné Chesanow, author Honeysuckle Sipping♦ David Mizejewski of the National WildlifeFederation presents A Wildlife Garden for YourFamily♦ Jay Archer of John Jay Landscapepresents Through the Eyes of a Child♦ Guided tour of the Rain Garden♦ Family Wildlife Scavenger Hunt♦Story Teller and cider pressing♦ National Wildlife Federation Table♦ Bedford Audubon: Intro to Bird-watching for Jun-iors & Where Do the Animals Play in Our Gardens?,an information table and Kestrel♦ Pumpkin & face painting12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.♦ BBQ Picnic lunchFAMILY DAY ALL-INCLUSIVE TICKETS:Adult Ticket - $35Family Package - $80 (2 adults, 3 children)Additional Child's Ticket - $10NPC Members deduct $5 off Adult or FamilyPackage price only, not add. child

OCTOBER 14:FIELD TRIP & Lunch - Members FreeFee Applicable for Non-NPC MembersGarden Education Center of GreenwichRead article on page 3 for further detailsJoin as a Member, form on last page of newsletter

OCTOBER 29: ACORN AWARD RECEPTION

NOVEMBER 17: James D. LewisInvasive Species in the Northeastern U.S.

AT WESTCHESTER

UPCOMING EVENTS

NEWSLETTER

NUMBER 23

THE SEPTEMBER

2009

NATIVE

CENTERPLANT

COMMUNITY COLLEGE

FAMILY DAY ~ AT PLAY WITH PLANTS:A DAY OF DISCOVERY FOR THE CHILD IN ALL OF US

FIRST NATIONAL AFFILIATE

OF THE

LADY BIRD JOHNSON WILDFLOWER CENTER

MAY 3 - MAY 6, 2010

CAPTURE THE CAPITAL

GARDEN TRIP TO WASHINGTON, D.C.DIRECT ALL INQUIRIES TO (914) 606-7715 ~ SIGN-UP TODAY!

LECTURE ~ NOVEMBER 17: Invasive species have been identified as one ofthe three greatest threats to biodiversity worldwide. In the northeastern U.S.,invasive species have dramatically altered the composition of native ecosys-tems, resulting in the near loss of native species including American chestnut,American elm, and the spread of purple loosestrife, phragmites and otherspecies. Some current threats to native plants in our region will be discussed,as well as ongoing research into the effects of some invasive species on nativeand urban ecosystems. 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Visit www.nativeplantcenter.org to register or phone (914) 606-7876.

INVASIVE SPECIES IN THE NORTHEASTERN UNITED STATES

by Nancy Inzinna, Editor

All ages are invited to participate in afun-filled day of discovery andinspiration on Sunday, October 4 .Whether you have children or not, this open-forum event is a perfect way to spend anautumn day in Westchester County. Comeand learn how to use native plants in yourlandscape, and ways to attract and sustainwildlife in our area.

This all inclusive event featureslectures, nature walks and bird watching,storytelling, face and pumpkin painting, ci-der pressing, a wildlife scavenger hunt, and bar-becue picnic lunch.

David Mizejewski of the NationalWildlife Federation presents AWildlife Garden for Your Family. JeannéChesanow, author of Honeysuckle Sipping,

discusses her book and takes us on a tripdown "memory lane." Jay Archer of JohnJay Landscape will presentThrough the Eyes of a Child, and give a tourof the recently installed raingarden on the grounds of WestchesterCommunity College. Representatives ofthe Bedford Audubon Society will lead abird watching walk on campus, and bringalong a kestrel for all to enjoy.

Additional events listed in side-bar.Information tables on-site for theNational Wildlife Federation and BedfordAudubon Society. Visitwww.nativeplantcenter.org to register. Joinas an NPC member for a discount and helpsupport future programming. Member-ship info on last page of newsletter.

~ James D. Lewis is the Assistant Professor for Plant Ecolog y at The Louis Calder CenterBiological Station in Armonk, New York. He holds a Master of Science in Ecology from PennsylvaniaState University and a Ph.D. in Botany from Duke University.

JOIN AS AN NPC MEMBER

RECEIVE MANY MEMBER PERKS

ADVANCE RESERVATION & FEE REQUIRED

WWW.NATIVEPLANTCENTER.ORGPHONE (914) 606-7870 FOR DETAILS

Continued on page 2

GREGORY LONG TO RECEIVE THE ACORN AWARD

Gregory Long, president ofThe New York Botanical Garden

It is with great pleasurewe announce that GregoryLong, President and CEOof The New York BotanicalGarden, will be the recipientof The Native PlantCenter’s Acorn Award for2009. The Acorn Award wasestabl ished in 2008 tocommemorate the 10th

Anniversary of NPC andrecognizes individuals or

groups in our regionwho inspire people tolearn about nativeplants and habitat andencourages them togrow native plants intheir gardens.

For the past twentyyears Mr. Long hasbeen devoted to

by Darrin Duling, NPC Director

*********************

THE "DIRT" ON EARTHWORMSby Kim EiermanOwner, Kim's Native Landscape Consulting

ACORN AWARD

Continued from page 1

NATIVE PLANT CENTER

STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Cece Fabbro ~ Chairperson

WELCOME NEW MEMBERSOur deepest thanks go to all our members whosupport us, and we encourage you to join them.

FRIENDS

Margaret Antiaris Susan Apuzzo Ellen Bailey*Katherine Bang Janet Becker Lake Charles

Roberta DiBlasi Karen DiPietrantonioTeresa Donkin John Fellas Kirk Ferguson

James R. Gmelin Danielle M. GoodmanMaconda Goodspeed Maggie & Jeremy Greenfield

Clarisse Hasse Marcus Holtby Jane HolmesSarah Johnson Kathleen P. Kettles Andrea Klein

Katy Krider Karalyn Lamb Robert LaughlinBill & Suzanne Lindelof Dr. Jean Linville

Suzette Lopane Abby Luby Marcy W. MarchianoCarolyn Mayo Stanley McGuigan Michele A. MillerJoe Montuori Lara Netting Elizabeth H. Newman

Laura Perkins Constance C. PorterSarah Richards Barbara Romeo Barbara SansoloMichele Schimmel Kevin Scully Bonnie SilvermanKeith E. Simpson Sarah Stern Henriette G. SuhrKathy Tamagna Carol K. Thielke Karen Thomson

Alicia Ward Mayneal Wayland Anne Wood

SUPPORTING MEMBER

Darrin Duling* Ursula LaMotte*

HOUSEHOLD MEMBER

Jacqui & Adam Bergonzi Barbara DannenbergChristine Detmer & Wendy Krempa

Sandy & George GarfunkelPeter Strom & Clare Levy

Dr. Carolyn A. Webber & Dr. Gerald E. Thomson*

DONATIONS - MATCHING FUNDS

AIG Susan Apuzzo Linda & Bernard HaleyEsther Kates Maureen Keller Ellen Klein

Bea Maguire Mrs. Stanley Newhouse JoAnn Pedersen

COMPLETE LISTING OF MEMBERS

ON THE WEBSITE AT WWW.NATIVEPLANTCENTER.ORG

* Generous Supporter of The Lady Bird Johnson Center in Texas

RETURNING

Isabel Becker Linda ChampanierAnn Collins Susan Fragala

Megan Gladstone Shoko & Noriyuki IwataEllen Klein Matthew D. Scherer

John Tweddle Mary V. Watson Mitzi Weissman

CONSERVATOR

Patricia H. Keesee* Phillis Warden*

UPGRADED RENEWALS

Michele Hertz* Patricia & Robert MacGregor

GIFT MEMBERSHIPS

Rhona Johnson Leonard Panar

BUSINESSES & ORGANIZATIONS

Benedek & Ticehurst Landscape Architects & Site PlannersPhilipstown Garden Club Rusticus Garden Club

Rye Nature Center The Garden Club of IrvingtonThe Garden Club of YorktownThe Little Garden Club of Rye

Wave Hill Greenhouse White Plains Garden Club

That seemingly harmless creature, theearthworm, revered so long as our ally inthe garden, has become a foe in our forests.Surprisingly, earthworms are not native tothe Northeastern United States. Glaciersin the Pleistocene period wiped out nativeearthworms in most of the NorthernContinental U.S. Explorers and settlersintroduced exotic earthworms possibly asea r l y a s the 1600s. T hese e xot i cearthworms were brought to America bothintentionally and unintentionally fromEurope and Asia through agriculture,horticulture and fishing.

Every gardener knows that earthwormsare useful in aerating and improving thegar den so i l a s ea r thwor ms ea t andeliminate underground. What has beendiscovered over the past 20 years is theincredible destruction earthworms arecausing to our forests. Earthworms havea voracious appetite and thrive as they eattheir way through the decomposing leaflitter that covers the floor of a healthyforest. That leaf litter (aka forest duff) iscomposed of fungally dominated organicmatter which decomposes over time andslowly releases nutrients to the plants in theforest, and is critical to a healthy forestsystem. The leaf litter also serves ashabitat for valuable native creatures, such

as amphibians and invertebrates which areextremely sensitive to disturbances in theirecosystem. Earthworms are depleting thisleaf litter and interfering with the cyclingof nutrients in the forest, as well as causingstructural changes to the native forest soils.There is a great deal of research currentlybeing conducted on this problem, includinglocally at the Cary Institute of EcosystemStud ies in Mi l lb rook , NY ( seewww.ecostudies.org).

It should be noted that the species ofwor ms commonly so ld forvermicomposting, Eisenia fetida, Eiseniaandrei, and Lumbricus rubellis, known as redwigglers or red worms have not beenidentified as a problem in our forests…. yet.In fact these earthworm species may not beab le to sur v ive our co ld w in te r s.Vermicompost worms are used in enclosedbins to manufacture vermicompost; theyshou ld never be re l eased in regu la rcompos t p i l e s. Be fore add ingvermicompost to your garden soil, it isadvisable to freeze it first in air tight bagsfor a week to kill off any remaining worms.

Jan BlaireLaura Blau

Cynthia BrennanMyles BrownBob DelTortoKim Eierman

Barbara FischerLeslie Henshaw

Patricia H. Keesee

Ursula LaMottePru MontgomeryHeather Sandifer

Denise SantomeroBetsy Stern

Carolyn SummersPhillis WardenNeil Wattles

Lucille Werlinich

revitalization of The New York Botanical Garden, one of New York City’s mostprominent cultural institutions. During this period he has emerged as a leading figurefor global environmental advocacy, and, specific to the Acorn Award, he has supportedthe scientific staff at the Garden in conducting invaluable research for the Flora ofNorth America, overseen the restoration of the remnant Bronx River basin forest andcurrently is spearheading the planned restoration of the historic Native Plant Garden.

During his career, Long has held positions at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, theAmerican Museum of Natural History, The New York Zoological Society and The NewYork Public Library. He holds an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from CityCollege in New York in recognition of “his inspired stewardship” in helping to “makeculture flourish in New York City.” He also serves as a member and advisor to variousorganizations throughout the New York City region and beyond.

Mr. Long is the author of Historic Houses of the Hudson River Valley, and is the editorof The New York Botanical Garden, a beautifully illustrated volume documenting theinstitution’s remarkable history and unparalleled collections.

Join us on Thursday, October 29 at a reception in Bedford Hills. If you have notreceived your invitation, visit us at www.nativeplantcenter.org for information and prices.

Beginning October 1, the "Invasive Series"articles on deer, invasive plants and invasiveinsec t s w i l l appea r week l y (T hurs. ) a twww.nativeplantcenter.org and The NPCBlog http://npcnativeplants.blogspot.com

PRECEDING THE ACORN AWARD RECEPTION, ENJOY A

FANTASTIC EVENING TOUR OF A MAGICAL PRIVATE GARDEN.

*********************

FALL FIELD TRIP

NATIVE NOTES Darrin Duling

Autumn Walk on the Wild Side at the Garden Education Center of GreenwichFree to NPC Members - Non-NPC Members $20 Bring your own lunch

October 14: 9:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.Members Free - Join Now - Member Form Last Page

Join Darrin Duling, NPC director and Lisa Beebe, GEC director of horticulture on an exclusiveguided tour of the historic Montgomery Pinetum and antique sunken conservatory, followed by awoodland walk to take in the glorious autumn color. We will have lunch in the "lost" lakeside gardenof Ernest Seton which was recently "re-discovered" and revealed. The day will conclude with anopportunity to shop at the Garden Ed Center Gift Shop and greenhouses.

*********************

REGISTER BY THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1 ~ PHONE (914) 606-7876 TO RESERVE YOUR PLACE!

After an exceptionally grey, wet andchilly spring we are enjoying long-awaitedsummer sunshine and warm temperatures.The plants in the Stone Cottage and LadyBird Johnson Demonstration Gardens arerespond ing accord ing ly and we a rewitnessing an explosion of coneflowers, beebalm, milkweed, coreopsis, cardinal flower,St. Johnswort, joe-pye weed, black-eyedSusan and other vibrant flowers. Thegardens are alive with bees, butterflies andhummingbirds. This glorious spectacle willbe with us until frost hits.

In April we created a small fern andwildflower garden that surrounds anexisting bench dedicated to Betsy Stern,one of the founders of The Native PlantCenter. This garden contains Virginiabluebells, bleeding heart, evergreen ginger,white trout lily, maidenhair fern, royal fern,cinnamon fern, Goldie’s fern, and manyother beloved wildlings. From my officewindow I see that i t is becoming anincreasingly desirable resting spot here oncampus. Other new additions involveenhancements to the Stone CottageGarden; specimens in the raised bed at therear of the cottage had grown very largeand were obscuring the facade - thosespecimens have been transplanted in orderto expose a handsome faux-archwayoriginal to the structure. A stone mask anda small stone bench have been added tocomplement this feature. This new seatingarea will be made accessible by building ina step and a stone pathway to connect itwith existing paths in the main area of thegarden. We will also be opening up a viewinto the new rain garden by cutting a seatinto the wall that divides it from the StoneCottage Garden. When all is completed,three formerly separate elements will be

There is a tremendous amount ofdebate these days about exotic vs. nativechoices for our gardens. What I findextremely interesting is that the “lure ofthe exotic,” in my perception, is nowbecoming appl icable to many nat ivespecies that earlier generations grew upwith as an integral part of their lives, butare now scarce due to habi ta t loss,encroachment by invasive species anddepredation from overabundant deerpopulations. A burgeoning contingent of“new” gardeners become enthralled whenintroduced to our once-common natives

Phillis Warden, one of our SteeringCommittee members, has generouslydonated a choice specimen sourwood tree(Oxydendrum arboreum) that is flourishing inits new home on the east side of StoneCottage. Sourwood is a showy native treeoffering all-season interest; a member ofthe heath family, it sports dangling racemesof tiny fragrant white flowers in mid-summer that are reminiscent of lily of thevalley. The flowers are followed by putty-colored seed pods that, from a distance,make the tree appear to be in flower rightunti l frost. Its’ reddish-green foliageassumes a striking burgundy-scarlet colorin autumn and the dried racemes with seedpods attractively persist into the wintermonths. Sourwood is rated as hardy inUSDA zones 5-9 and will eventually achievea height of 60’ - - I say eventually as thistree tends to be slow-growing in juvenilestage. Once established, sourwood is atough, easily-maintained tree that offers alifetime of beauty and enjoyment.

and their passion for these plants increasesexponentially when it is learned that theyare rare and endangered, adding a “need-for-rescue” element into the mix. I trustthat this newfound awareness will serve toincrease the livelihood of our native plantsthrough conservation and horticulture.

Gardeners do play an important role infurthering the cause of our natives, andmany die-hard native plant aficionadosmercilessly exclude all other plants fromtheir gardens while trumpeting their actionsas an exclusive road to salvation. Thisbehavior may seem a bit aggressive andintimidating to those newly-initiated - - Irecently visited a lady in her garden whoapologized profusely for three crepemyrtles that she had planted the yearpreviously …“before she knew better.” Asshe said this, she furtively looked around herproperty as if expecting someone to springout of the bushes and flog her for her lackof discretion. Smiling to myself, I assuredher that she shouldn’t lose sleep over thisnon-native plant choice, as there are indeedexotic plants that are very useful forlandscape purposes, pose no threat to theenvironment and play well as companionswith our natives. I pointed out that if we allwent entirely native we would exclude manynon-invasive garden favorites, such as:boxwood, peony, lilac, Japanese maple,Chinese magnolia, English laurel, daffodils,tulips, tea roses, apple trees, etc., not tomention most of our agricultural food crops.However, I was quick to remind her that it isimportant to remain ever-vigilant againstintroducing known or potentially invasiveexotic species. No matter how pretty thatexotic plant may be, if it looks like it is tryingto naturalize itself outside of it’s designatedspot, be ruthless and rip it out!

Ph

oto

by:

Mat

thew

D.

Sch

erer

brought together as a cohesive whole.

Educating people about the environmental necessity, economic value, and natural beauty of native plants in the Nor theast.

MEMBER NAME

STREET CITY STATE

Make checks payable to WCC Foundation or charge MC or Visa # Exp. Date

NAME OF CARDHOLDER *NAME OF GIFT GIVER

STREET CITY STATE ZIP PHONE

The Native Plant Center75 Grasslands Road, Valhalla, NY 10595Website: www.nativeplantcenter.orgE-mail: wcc.nativeplant@sunywcc.edu

Nancy Inzinna, Newsletter Editor

$45 FriendHelp support the educational prog rams and operations of The NPC. Benefits include: - 10% discount on NPC Symposia and Lectures - One Free Lecture - Discount on Pre-Sale plant order - Early Admission on Plant Sale Day - Monthly e-mail of the Wildflowerwire Newsletter from our affiliate the Lady Bird Johnson Center in Austin, Texas - Invitation to NPC Members Only Field Trips

$80 Household Member and Garden Clubs/Organizations Benefits include all of the above, plus:

- 10% discount on Symposia and Lectures for TWO household members

For an additional $30, purchase a Membership to the Lady BirdJohnson Wildf lower Center in Austin, Texas

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center benefits:- Award winning magazine, Native Plants- 10% discount on Wild Ideas: The Store and Catalog- Reciprocal privileges at more than 100 gardens

ZIP PHONE FAX E-MAIL

NATIVE PLANT CENTER MEMBERSHIP FORM - DONATIONS ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE

Phone: (914) 606-7870 Fax: (914) 606-6143 E-mail: wcc.nativeplant@sunywcc.edu

And/Or I am enclosing a donation of $ *Gift membership in the amount of $

(Print name of member as you wish it to appear in publications.)

MATCHING CONTRIBUTIONS ARE APPRECIATED - CONTACT YOUR EMPLOYER FOR DETAILS

$125 Supporting Member Benefits include all the above plus: - "Free" Membership to the Lady Bird Johnson Center

$250 Advocate Benefits include all the above plus: - Free "Friend" Membership for a garden enthusiast of your choice

$500-$999 Sustaining Member Benefits include all of the above, plus:

- An invitation to the Director's Tour of our Demonstration Gardens

$1,000-$2,999 Conservator Benefits include all of the above, plus:

- Gift book about wildflowers

$3,000 + Heritage CircleAssume a leadership role in The Native Plant Center Benefits include all of the above, plus: - Teak garden bench at West. Comm. College with inscribed brass plaque

Help fulfill Lady Bird Johnson's vision of a more naturally beautiful America. Past contributions have enabled us toenter the new millennium with the assurance that our native plants will be a permanent part of our local landscape.

MEMBERSHIP LEVEL $ ADDITIONAL LBJ $30 TOTAL AMT. DUE $ YE S / NO

Help Save Postage & Paper - Keep Us Updated

MEMBER DONATIONS CONTRIBUTE 22% OF THE NPC OPERATING BUDGET - JOIN TODAY!

(Cirle One)

You are n

ot curre

ntly a

NPC Mem

ber. M

ember

support

allows T

he NPC to

provide community

outreach

which

affec

ts

all of u

s. P

lease

consider

purchasi

ng a mem

bership an

d keep us

strong.

New m

embers

recei

ve one f

ree le

cture.